By Jessica Bensten and Lauren Ambrose

Let’s give credit where credit is due: that big yellow bath toy was one of the best visitors to Hampton Roads in a long, long time. If you don’t know what we’re talking about, you’ve obviously been “ducking” out on TV and social media.

We’re talking about Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman’s Rubber Duck sculpture seen floating in the Hague Inlet from May 17-26. The large-scale work of art was here to help celebrate the reopening of The Chrysler Museum of Art in Norfolk.

After contacting the artist, Chrysler Museum Director Bill Hennessey visited the duck to see it firsthand in Pittsburgh. That’s all it took to seal the deal; Hennessey was convinced the duck needed to fly south to Norfolk as the second location in its US tour.

Believe it or not, the large work of art is actually a seasoned traveler; since its creation in 2007, the 40-foot rubber duck has been around the world to places like Hong Kong, Sydney and Amsterdam.

“Very rarely can you call something wildly successful and it not be hype,” said Gary Marshall, the website manager for the Chrysler Museum of Art. According to Marshall, the Chrysler Museum began its online campaign by strategically building interest. They first introduced the duck and asked spectators to send in their own pictures. From there, it didn’t take long to pique curiosity. “By the fifth or sixth day, everybody was layer upon layer on social media with photos,” said Marshall. “The snowball was just exploding.”

Because of all the media attention, the Rubber Duck exhibit:

• quadrupled the institution’s website traffic
• reached over 1.6 million people on Facebook
• brought 40,000 visitors to the Chrysler Museum during the duck’s 10-day stay (five times the normal amount)
• sold the museum’s entire stock of t-shirts in a day and a half

As a creative agency, we know it’s important to always think outside the box, or in this case, bath tub. That’s what Hennessey after his Pittsburgh visit. By bringing the Rubber Duck to Norfolk, the ensuing media attention allowed the museum to:

• turn thousands of people into free brand ambassadors
• increase awareness about the museum’s location and its reopening
• reach a widespread audience
• educate the public that art comes in many shapes and forms

Marshall says the museum staff “already miss the duck.” We do, too.

Do you need help making a “big splash” in Hampton Roads? Call us at 456-5212 and let’s get started.

(Picture in our blog header image is Senior Account Manager Ashley Martin and her adorable 22-month-old son Owen.)